A Poisoned Touch

They left before the sun set, but the Bifrost was still brilliant against the waning light. He’d wondered if they would need to go in groups, as the party was larger this time, but according to Thor the rainbow beam grew with the size of the group so soon enough he had that same inside out feeling and then he was standing on the bridge.

“My King, my Queen, my Princes, welcome home.” Heimdall stood there, giant gleaming sword in his hands. “Welcome valued guests.”

“Hey Heimdall. Thanks for getting us back safely.” Steve waved and considered shaking forearms, but he wasn't sure the man ever took his hands off the sword.

“Welcome back Captain.”

“Let us make haste, this is a short stop. Minister Atmos made sure to tell me that he had rooms ready for us to arrive immediately.” Loki spoke as he hustled everyone up the bridge to the waiting carriages.

“I’m gonna stretch my wings. You wanna come Thor?” Steve handed Sam his shield case, and spread his wings. Thor leaned forward to steal a quick kiss and then shot into the air with Mjolnir. “You cheat!” Steve called out before following him.

They wove in and around each other on the short flight to the palace. Landing within seconds of each other, Steve pulled Thor in this time, kissing him soundly. They pulled apart just as the carriages pulled up.

“Show boats, the both of you...." Tony trailed off as Frigging walked over.

“It is a lovely sight, seeing the two of you so carefree in the air.” Frigga told them, before she gave Steve a short hug. “Now, the seamstresses will be waiting for Master Wilson and Master Barton, and I have a small token for you to take with you, a show of thanks.”

“I’ll take the men with me, mother. Thor and Steve can pick up the gift.” Loki grabbed both Sam and Clint's arms, and started heading away.

“I shall make sure the ship is ready to depart.” Odin told the group still standing there. "You will find your things already waiting for you at the port."

“We can find our way, thank you your majesty.” Nat gave a soft bow, just a dip of her head really, before snapping her fingers. Bruce and Tony followed her easily.

“Come on, elskan, let us go find a gift, then we shall meet the others.” Steve took the offered hand and they headed for the queen’s study. They found her finishing a bow on a small box wrapped in shimmering paper.

“My boys, here, please make sure this gets to the regent. And son, if you need us, for any reason, call for Huginn or Muninn, they will come for your message.” She pressed a kiss to his cheek before moving to do the same for Steve. “Take care of each other.”

Steve followed her lead and left her with a kiss to her cheek and a longer hug than he’d gotten previously. She waved them off and he and his boyfriend made their way to the port, falling into line with Sam, Clint and Loki and a porter who carried four large travel trunks.

“Do you need me to get one, sir?’ Steve offered but the man told him he was fine. It didn't feel right to let someone else carry their things, but Thor shook his head minutely so Steve left it. He’d ask later what the problem was.

At the port they found the rest of their party standing by a tall tree, with a humanoid face and short creature that Steve thought was a raccoon.

“Ah, Groot, you and Rabbit are our pilots today? Where is Quill?”

“I am Groot.”

“Oh, off chasing Gamora?”

“I am Groot.” Thor laughed. Steve and everyone else watched the rapport with awe.

“Okay, enough. Let’s go. Old one eye paid us to get you lot there in one piece. I’m flying, Groot is navigating, everyone welcome to the Milano.” The small creature shooed them all on board, waiting for the porter to deposit all the trunks.

“How did you get Quill to lend you his ship?” Thor asked when the hull closed.

“I am Groot.” Thor threw back his head and roared.

“Oh but he will be angry when he catches up.” Thor slapped the tree thing’s shoulder and Steve finally had to ask.

“Um, Thor? Who’s uh, your friends?”

“That's what you ask?” Tony explodes? “Not about the freaking spaceship? SPACESHIP Steve.”

“Nah, I gotta admit, I’m pretty curious about the tree and the raccoon too.” Sam offered. Steve smiled at him, glad someone was on his side.

“Oh Rabbit? He’s a, uh, the proper term is.. Loki?”

“He’s a criminal. Rocket, Groot and their team call themselves The Guardians of the Galaxy, which is stupid as they got lucky one time.”

“So, space pirates?” Clint was just about bouncing with glee.

“I am not a rabbit.” Rocket shouted out from the cockpit.

“Space pirates denotes a sort of romance to what they do. No, they are Ravagers. Mercenaries. I will hazard a guess that our father paid them handsomely.”

“I am Groot.”

“Quite handsomely.” Thor nods. “They may be mercenaries but they have a code, and they will get us to Aerilon.”

“And that is walking, talking tree whose whole language consists of ‘I am Groot’?” Bruce asks.

“Yes.” Thor draws it out slowly, almost as if he is surprised they don’t get it. But then he’s grinning again. “The Flora Colossus are a gentle, curious species. I do not actually know how this one ended up with a Ravager faction.”

“Dude, this is the best trip ever.” Clint breaths out.

“Yeah, I didn’t expect this at all, Steve.” Sam added. Well, it’s not like Steve expected Rocket or Groot either.

“The galaxy is more than you could ever imagine.” Loki tells them all, a bit of awe in his voice. Steve knocks their shoulders together.

“Buckle up losers, we're at our jump point.” Rocket calls out.

Tony barely gets out, “jump po--” Before they're all pushed back into their seats.

“Oof.” Bruce says, righting himself. “Jumping through points in space, amazing.”

“Okay, I know the king doesn't want us stealing tech or anything, but can I ask the raccoon about this?” Tony has a pleading tone that Steve had never heard before.

“I won’t tattle if, and this is a big if, you can behave the rest of this trip.” Steve offers.

“I will be the best version of Anthony Stark you’ve ever seen if I can ask about jump points and acceleration in the vacuum of space.”

“Go on then.”’ Loki waves him to the cockpit.

“I don’t think Rocket will tell him anything that he can do damage with. Rocket is an adequate pilot and can handle repairs but I’m not sure if he knows the mechanics of how space travel works. I could be mistaken, but…”

“Well, Tony only has his brain with him so maybe it won’t be bad.”

“You forget he has the suit with him, that means he has Jarvis.” Bruce reminded him.

“Oh, oh shit. Your dad is gonna murder me.” Steve drops his head in his hands.

“We’ll protect you, Cap.” Sam tells him.

“I do not think it’ll be that bad, I believe we are almost there.” Loki adds.

“Hold your dicks!” Rocket yells out and then there is a short thrust forward, and a soft push back and then the ship is floating and turning gently. Steve goes to stand and look out the visor in the cockpit. He and Tony stand there, side by side and watch the ship dock.

“Holy hell, Cap.”

“Yeah. I know.” Steve’s wing twitched and then partly covered Tony’s back. Steve did not tell it to do that, but sometimes they had a mind of their own, and if Tony needed a sort of hug, well, this is all Steve could give him.

“Scoot, out of my cockpit, you're crowding me. I don’t like it.”

“I am Groot.”

“Oh shut up you big branch. Move, come on.” Rocket pushed past them and stood near the back of the ship, by the trunks and watched the hull open.

Once they were all standing outside the ship, the pile of trunks sitting off to the side, Rocket and Groot boarded and waved, “see ya later suckers!” The ship took off a lot faster than it landed and then that was it, they were on a planet with no real name, and a dwindling populace.

“Just let me.” Loki starts but then he poofs out of sight.

“Where did he go now?” Tony asks.

“I believe my brother has gone to alert Minister Atmos of our arrival.” Thor offered. He sat on one of the trunks, clearly not worried at all. Steve walked over to Bruce and Tony.

“See anything that immediately pings your radar as not right?” He asks, glad to have the scientists there with him.

“The atmosphere is like Earths but maybe a bit thicker?” Bruce said, before turning to Tony.

“Yeah. I’ve got Jarvis running scans, but my first guess is that we might all feel a bit of altitude sickness.”

“Where are the noises?” Clint asked. Steve turned to him. He was pointing at his hearing aids. “I have them dialed all the way up. There’s no birds. No bugs. Where is the ambient sound that is always around?”

“Good spotting that Hawkbird. It is one of the first things I want to ask when I find someone smart.” Tony was only half paying them attention. Rather he was watching a small ship come their way.

It was a mix of the Asgardian skiffs and an actual ship. Almost like a Viking longboat. There were shimmery sails and holes along each side for oars, but it was floating through the air. Steve was interested, sure, but not like Tony was. His friend was almost drooling.

“That's it, I want my own ship. Skiff. Thing.” Tony crossed his arms and Steve could just picture him explaining to Pepper why he needed his own skiff. He’d let her deal with that.

When it stopped, a plank slid out and Loki came down with Minister Atmos. The first thing Steve noticed was his bare feet. He didn’t even think before his mouth was going off.

“You were wearing shoes on Asgard.” He said it like an accusation.

“You don't go to a royal palace barefoot. Not unless it is a known allowance.” The other man says before bowing. “Your highness. Naenia welcomes it’s lost prince home.”

Steve executes the bow that Thor had been helping him learn, and behind him he hears Loki go, “oh, that's its name.”